Better Than This
by j'adore macabre
Summary: If you've read my other Lost Boys fic I Can't Love You then you have a good idea where this is going. David takes interest in a girl but there can't be anything more than interest right? After all, he has everything he wants or needs. What's better?
1. Chapter 1

He was a rogue, an absolute devil in disguise with his eyes glinting like blue fire and the infamous devil-may-care smirk that was ever present on his lips. There was power in the way he moved and the way he talked that could be compared to none, not even Dwayne's fierce strength for David's was a different type of strength. It seemed as if he was an animal ready to attack but held back by his own determination. Likewise, his voice had an edge to it that suggested he was ready with wounding words but simply choose not to use them.

This knowledge was not wasted on the blonde and he walked down the boardwalk with perfect confidence, the rest of the Lost Boys flanking him. The night crowd was winding down now at half past one so that only a few stragglers were left. Paul was the first to cut off from the group, having spotted a lovely blonde with her hips swinging as she walked. Marko was the second to leave, spotting twins leaning against the railing, and dragged Dwayne along with him. The brunette raised his eyebrows and nodded towards the twins, indicting he thought David should join them. The blonde shook his head and kept walking until he reached the end of the boardwalk. He turned onto one of the side streets that still held a good view of the ocean and where the cats-eye moon threw a dull, pale, almost supernatural glow on the barren street while a streetlamp flickered to life sporadically. It cast its own small harsh light on a bench sitting directly under it. On the bench, with a peeling green paint laid David, resting his left leg on the arm while he extended his right until the heel of his boot rested on the ground. Staring up at the streetlamp, he cushioned his head with his left hand and brought his right up to his lips. In the near darkness the end of his cigarette emitted a small orange glow, illuminating the gloved fingers momentarily while the smoke curled about his fingers sinuously.

David sat up and rose to his feet in one continuous motion as the streetlight flickered back to life and flicked the butt of his cigarette into the gutter. The blonde stood by the bench for a moment, hands shoved deep in the pockets of his coat, and stared down the street with faraway eyes. The flash of lightening and distant rumble of thunder went unnoticed.

"David." A deep, melancholy voice drew the blonde out of his daze and he snapped his head around to see Dwayne sitting on the bench less than an arm's length away.

"You finished feeding early." David commented airily as he turned back around to face the ocean.

Dwayne shook his head slowly and went to stand beside David. "I didn't want to. It's more about the game of it. I like to win, it's true, but I like a challenge and there was no challenge in this one."

David nodded in understanding. They frequently made sport of their victims; seducing them or making them comfortable enough so that they would be lead unknowingly to their death. He was about to turn and lead them back to the others when a sudden piercing shriek made him pause. "Did you hear that?" He asked the brunette. The shriek was so faint he was unsure the other was even paying enough attention to have heard it.

"Of course." Dwayne answered as he turned his head in the direction of the scream.

Usually, David wouldn't have cared about a scream, he'd heard too many in his life, but this one was different. He couldn't say for sure, maybe it was the frequency or the underlying urgency that marked it as different from the screams of joy he often heard every night, but this one struck him like a blow. His eyebrows raised and his eyes widened slightly as the scream came again but seemed to be cut off only to start again and he realized that it was coming from off the ocean, off to their right. David took a step forward only to be stopped by Dwayne's hand on his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" The brunette asked though his eyes looked at David strangely as if he already knew the answer.

"I-I don't know." David's eyebrows furrowed in amazement at the first time he was unsure and acting without thought.

'You can't go from the air. There's too much of a risk for that so you'll have to swim." Dwayne replied as if David had answered otherwise.

David shuddered as he looked at the water lapping against the shore. "I'm not going out there. There is no reason for me to believe that anyone out there is even in trouble and even if there was, I have no reason to help them."

The other vampire took his hand from David's shoulder and shrugged out of his leather jacket.

"What the hell are _you_ doing?" David asked.

"You're obviously interested. I'm curious as to know why." Dwayne replied as he jogged over to where the sand and pavement met. Smirking he said, "I'll race you."

Never one to ignore a challenge, David shrugged out of both coats and his shirt. They removed their boots at the same time so that they wouldn't be hindered in the water.

Dwayne shuddered and pulled a face when the water reached his barrel chest. "Let's go."

David followed after the brunette, his body shivering as it repelled the very idea of him going into the water let alone swim in it.

They must have swum a mile at the least because David could feel himself become almost physically sick from the water though it was cool and calming on his skin. He stopped paying attention to the direction in which they were going and focused Dwayne who was just a little ways in front of him. They most likely would have past the person that was screaming had they not wrapped their arms around David's torso.

The sudden contact made David stop, his mouth contorted in an instinctive snarl which instantly changed at the realization that this was the person they were after. Dwayne had stopped as well and treads water a few feet from David. It's a young woman clinging to David; her long black hair was swaying behind her with the waves like a cape. She stared at him with intense green eyes, silently pleading with him for help as the waves washed over her head, threatening to drag her under.

"Let's go back." David yelled over the thunderous roar of ocean.

Dwayne nodded, his massive frame trembling.

"Wait." The girl yelled. She nearly choked on the water that rushed in her mouth but her voice still rang clear as a bell. "My friend, she swam out here. Find her. Please."

David was about to ask Dwayne take the girl so he could look but the brunette jerked his head in the direction of the shore.

"I'll look." Dwayne raked his hair back from his face only to have a wave push it back in front of his eyes. His mouth contorted in a scowl as he spoke. "You take her back."

"I want you back in half an hour." David warned as he grasped the girl around her waist. She was limp in his arms now and most likely had fainted from the strain of swimming and treading water all that time.

Dwayne gave a mock salute and said, "Yes, sir."

The blonde watched as his fellow vampire swam away, every so often disappearing below the waves to look for the other girl. David swam back to shore, using only one hand and gripping the girl tightly with his other. During the swim he found himself wondering what her name was and what she was like. Somehow he knew he wouldn't be quite right until she was safe on land.

A pair of hands met him close to shore and dragged him onto the sand. David coughed and bent over to retch as he planted his feet firmly in the sand, placing his hands on his knees to steady himself. He looked up to see Marko crouching beside the girl, holding her chin with his thumb and forefinger as he examined her unconscious form.

"You went out there for this?" Marko asked innocently.

David ignored the question and fell into the sand to the other side of the young woman. "She's not breathing. We have to get air in her lungs."

"I can do it." Pushing his hair from his face, Marko brought his face close to the girl's, pinched her nose and breathed air into her lungs. Unwilling to sit by, David helped by pushing down on her chest.

They repeated this exercise three times before she rid herself of the access water and each time Marko brought his lips to hers David wished it was him.

"Son of a bitch." She groaned as she sucked in huge draughts of air.

Marko sat back on the ground and practically howled with laughter. "You went out there for this?" He repeated.

"Shut up." David growled, throwing a fistful sand at the younger vampire. He gentled as he turned to the girl and helped her to sit up. "What were you doing out there?"

"My friend went out for a swim. I warned her that a storm was coming and it was too rough but she went anyway when I wasn't watching. She's been she depressed lately; her brother just died." The girl bit her lip nervously.

"I'm sure she just went for a swim." Marko flashed his signature boyish smile. "Besides, our brother is out there and I'm confident he'll find her."

They sat on the beach for a moment, waiting anxiously for Dwayne's return. The brunette emerged from the ocean like a leviathan, water dripping from his hair and streaming down his body. David noticed he was carefully keeping his right arm hidden by turning so his body kept it out of sight.

"I went and swum farther out and along the beach but I couldn't find her. I'm sorry." Dwayne apologized.

The girl covered her mouth with her hand and sobbed. David wrapped an arm comfortingly around her shoulders. Despite the situation that brought them together, he was elated to find that she had leaned against him and was resting her forehead on the crook of his neck, her skin warm with blood against his own cold skin.

AN- I've finally written my fic for David! So for those of you that have read my other fic, _I Can't Love You_, a question: should put Tris in this one or keep them totally unrelated? Choice is yours and as always hope you enjoyed…


	2. Chapter 2

AN- Sorry for the delay but I had the most difficult time trying to decide whether or not to put Tris in it but I've made up my mind that it is benefical for another female character. You don't need to know much about Tris execpt that she's Dwayne's mate. Anyway, now that I've finally updated I hope you enjoy...

David sent Dwayne and Marko back to the Cave as soon as rain began to pour from the sky in such a manner that they had to bow their heads and shield they're eyes or be blinded by the heavy downpour.

David rested his hand on the small of her back to guide her up the beach toward his clothes, the wet sand shifting in a cool mass beneath their feet. Quickly, David pulled on his boots and picked up his shirt. In the space of only a few seconds the rain had completely soaked the shirt so he held the sopping top in his fist while he picked up his jackets.

"Where do you want to go?" He asked, raising his voice over the roar of the waves and pounding of the rain upon the ground so that her mortal ears could hear. "I'll take you anywhere you want. My bike is just down the street."

She shook her head. "Look, thanks and all to you and your friends, but I'd rather walk." She said as she wrapped her arms around her body, her teeth chattered slightly with cold.

David gazed at her, his eyebrows nearly raised in surprise but he quickly schooled his face into its calm mask despite the fact that it felt as if someone had just slapped him. No female besides Dwayne's mate had ever refused him anything. They always fell at his feet just to get his attention or a few seconds of his time.

"Take my jacket, at least." He said as he held out his leather jacket for her.

The girl shook her head and turned to leave. "Thanks again, David." She called over her shoulder.

His eyes widened and his lips parted a little in surprise. He wanted to grab her, turn her around and demand an explanation. She had no right to know his name without him giving it and he not know hers. It did not register yet that most people that lived in Santa Carla not only knew his name but the names of the other Lost Boys as well. David felt like calling out to her and asking her name but knew she wouldn't hear him. Briefly, he thought of running after her but dispensed with the thought almost as soon as it appeared in his mind for his pride was too great for him to run after some girl he just meet.

Still stung by both rejections, David walked up the street to his motorcycle while people ran past him with heads covered with a variety of objects and articles of clothing to shield them. The vampire turned his head up to the black sky with a snort of impatience and let the rain wash away the salty water from his body, relishing the way it felt against his bare skin and wished it could wash away all memories of what had transpired over the last few hours. It was irritating, this feeling of interest that he had with this girl. She should be nothing more than food saved for later but she wasn't and despite his best attempts he could not get her out of his mind.

Swinging his shirt and jacket over his shoulder, David straddled the bike and gunned the engine. The rain should have stung his skin like a million tiny knives at the speed he was going but he was impervious to it and pushed the machine as fast as it could go until he reached the Cave. He parked the bikes next to the others but hesitated before going inside, his mind still troubled by what had happened though he was eager to find out what Dwayne had been trying to hide.

Skirting the puddles of rain water David entered the Cave to hear Dwayne's mate, Tristan, say, "Hold still, Dwayne, so I can get a good look."

Properly in the Cave, David saw Dwayne jump a little as Tris touched his arm.

"Who pokes an open wound?" Dwayne glared at his mate. They were sitting on the battered couch, his arm twisted backward so his elbow faced upward and the limb stretched out on front of Tris.

"I barely touched you." She growled back a reply. From the corner of her eye she saw David enter and looked round at the blonde. "I heard about your latest excursion for a meal." She said, eyes twinkling with mischief.

David snorted. "She was hardly a meal."

"But she will be right?" Tris asked.

David watched in amusement as they all waited with baited breath for his answer. "Maybe." He gave a shrug of indifference and smirked.

"I think the better question is: Does she interest you?" Dwayne asked, hissing as Tris poked his arm.

"Well, I'm certainly interested in how you managed to let the current smash you against the bluff." Tris ignored her mate's glare when she prodded a tender area.

"You actually made it to the bluff and back?" David dropped her saturated clothes and went to inspect Dwayne's arm to see a gash splitting open the forearm. "Impressive."

"David." Tris nearly yelled in such a way that the blonde looked up with a startled expression. "Would you pick up your clothes?" She said with exasperation.

"Yes, ma'am." David said in a mocking voice and picked up the clothing only to throw it at a Paul who dropped it right back on the floor.

Tris gave a long-suffering sigh but didn't comment anymore on it.

Tristan was a pretty little thing with _café-au-lait_ skin, large brown almond shaped eyes and a thick mane of brown hair that rivaled Dwayne's in length. David could even at some times think her beautiful but if she had been mortal she would have been a snack and nothing more. As it was, she was Dwayne's mate and the rest of them had thought of her as a sister from the beginning and felt a fierce type of protectiveness toward her perhaps because she was their only female member.

"You didn't answer the question." Dwayne said softly, examining the wound by holding the limb out in front and twisting it.

"What question?"

"You find her interesting, don't you?"

David shrugged. "I guess."

Marko had been silent until now, occupying David's wheelchair with one knee drawn up to his chin and his arms wrapped around it. "So will you turn her?"

"The last thing we need is another woman." David answered as he sat to the other side of Tris and put his legs on her lap, wetting her jeans with his soaking pants.

Tris made a face at his comment which he responded to with a smirk even as she pushed his legs off. "I think it would be great to have another woman around. It would do you some good, David. You all would be an absolute mess without me."

Paul made a hurt sound and clasped his hands over his heart. "Hey, girl, that hurts. Dwayne, you sure she's the one for you? She's way too mean."

Dwayne pretended not to hear and continued his self-examination while Tris threw a pillow at the other vampire. Paul rose quickly from his seat and grabbed her around the waist, hoisting her upon his shoulders and ran around the cave while she pounded his back with her fists and Marko chased in fun.

Dwayne left his arm alone and looked at David with a serious expression set on his face. "Will you turn her?"

The blonde stroked the stubble on his chin thoughtfully for a moment and said, "No. I have everything I want and I'd rather kill her myself than have her make everything I have feel like less than it is."

Dwayne shook his head. "Do you honestly believe that? Do you think Tris makes me feel like you're less of a brother or me less of a vampire? If this girl is your mate then she will make you feel complete. She'll change you." He glanced over at Tris and a smile almost instantly graced his lips.

David felt a slight pang of jealousy but easily smothered it. "I don't want to change." He said with conviction though it sounded forced as if he were trying to convince himself.


	3. Chapter 3

David couldn't get that girl out of his head. Those piercing green eyes stared at him whenever he closed his and her scent stayed in his nose even when the smoke from his cigarette overpowered all other smells. He could still fell the tumble of black hair that fell down her back and more than a few times he had to look down to reassure himself there was nothing there. So they went back to the boardwalk the next night as if nothing had happened. David hoped the multitude of people and the different smells could chase away thoughts of this girl. Though he didn't want to admit it, he also hoped he would see her there.

Paul and Marko went off together for their meal while Tris wandered around the stores. David and Dwayne felt no particular desire to do either and so lounged together at the railing in companionable silence. The rough wood edge dug into David's back he barely took notice of it. His hands mouth went through the motions of lighting a cigarette and occasionally smoking on it but his mind was miles away, thinking of ocean waves and a certain mysterious girl.

To a person the boardwalk was like one massive smell. To a vampire the boardwalk held a vast array of smells, each distinguishable from the next. It could only be described as the individual threads of a tapestry; each scent overlapping another until it became difficult to tell which came from where. It was almost shocking when a single scent distinguished itself from the others like a single red thread in a mass of white. Involuntarily, David's head snapped around to find the source of the scent, the cigarette nearly dropping from his mouth in his haste.

"What is it?" Dwayne asked, rousing from his own private thoughts.

It was her. That girl from last night with her soft black hair pulled back in a messy bun while her eyes were kept covered by a pair of large sunglasses. She was making her way through the crowd with her arms full with two bulky paper bags.

"Nothing." David replied, turning his back to her and taking a deep drag from his cigarette.

Dwayne looked in the direction that the blonde was previously looking and gave a small sound of understanding.

"What?" David asked as he felt the brunette's eyes on him.

"Nothing." Dwayne replied with a shrug and turned to face the water.

"I don't want her." David growled as if reading Dwayne's mind.

"I didn't say you did."

"I could get her though."

"Sure." Dwayne replied airily without facing the other.

"I could get any girl I wanted."

"Yes, I know."

"Watch." David pushed away from the railing without waiting for a response and made his way to the girl. People pressed together to make room for him as he passed by. Heads turned and girls called his name. David ignored them and pressed on, focused on this single being.

"Hello." He said smoothly around the cigarette as he walked beside the girl. "Feeling better?"

The girl gave him a glance and nothing more. "Much." She said sarcastically and shrugged. "People come and people go. I'll feel better soon."

David snorted and flicked the butt of his cigarette into the street. "Spoken like a true realist."

She shrugged and continued walking, ignoring the blonde vampire that made every other girl turn their head.

"Let me help you carry those." David offered.

"If you want to." She responded and nearly tossed one of the bags into his arms.

"Are you a painter?" He looked in the bag to see it full of different color paints.

"No."

After a moment she stopped and turned to face him. "What do you want?"

David halted abruptly. Then held the bag in one arm, he reached out and removed her glasses, wishing he hadn't worn his gloves so he could feel her skin on his again. She shrank back slightly but let him take away the glasses. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying and her green eyes were dull.

"Happy now?" She asked.

"What's your name?" David asked quietly. He suddenly didn't care if the world witnessed him in a tender moment and suddenly wanted nothing more than to press his lips to hers.

She seemed taken aback by the question and asked, "What?"

"You know my name. Now, I want to know yours."

"Vanessa."

"Vanessa." David said savored the feel of it on his tongue.

"Yes, that's my name. So are you going to follow me all the way home or something?" She said impatiently, a scowl beginning to form on her lips.

"I am carrying your bag so I'm pretty sure that's a yes." The vampire replied.

Vanessa refused to speak anymore along the way, her mouth pressed in a thin line. Fortunately, she lived in close proximity to the boardwalk so David did not have to wait. It nearly killed him. He never knew what it was like to wait for another person's attention and felt a slight pang of irritation because of it.

"Be careful the boxes." She said as she took out a set of keys to her house.

It was a nearly dilapidated old house that left the vampire in amazement that anyone actually lived in it. There were shudders hanging loose and few broken windowpanes. Paint was peeling in strips from the side and an old tire rested against the front porch. Inside was a little better. There were wood floors that were only half done and walls half painted. Boxes were in almost every available space, pushed up against the walls to make small pathways.

"I guess now I know what all the paint is for." He commented dryly.

"What? This? No, what you've got in your hands is for special occasions."

"And you use this paint for what?"

"Hell, you carried the bag all the way here you might as well see what I use it for. Follow me." Vanessa led the way down the hall to a large room with walls covered with large sheets of paper.

David eyed a giant roll of paper. "I hope you're going to explain."

"Give a girl a minute." Vanessa pulled a packet of cigarettes from her back pocket and pulled one out. "Want one?"

David took a cigarette and held the lighter for her before lighting his own. He watched with interest the way the flickering light illuminated her face.

"You asked me if I was an artist." She said as she exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"You said no. Unless you were lying."

"I wasn't. I couldn't draw to save my life. I don't even like art all that much but my father was an artist. He covered my walls with paper when I was a kid in the hopes I would let loose some artistic talent." She rolled her eyes. "Eventually, I found I had some talent in splatter art." She opened a can of paint and poured some into a smaller container. "Take your jackets and gloves off."

Without question David did as she said and left his clothes in a pile outside the door. "Now what?" He shocked himself by asking. The last thing he ever expected himself to do was ask someone else what he should do.

She put out her cigarette. "Now we open all the other cans and begin."

Painting with a mortal was one thing David never pictured himself doing. But it felt right somehow. It was calming sticking his hands into a container of paint and splattering it all over the wall. Glancing over, he watched Vanessa work, wisps of hair coming loose from her bun. Without thought, she reached up and tucked a strand behind her ear only to get a bit of green paint on her cheek. Absentmindedly, David reached over to wipe it away only to smear her cheek with red.

"Hey!" Vanessa rubbed her cheek with should and gave a look of mock horror even as she flicked her wrist and got paint splattered all over David.

"I was trying to help you out." David smirked as he dipped his hand into a container of blue paint.

Supposedly things come in threes. Being covered in paint and mock wrestling with a mortal was the third thing that night David definitely did not expect to do. But there he was covering her nose with yellow and she making an orange stain on his arm. It was only destined to last a few moments. David had her pinned to the ground, her hands in his.

"You're the biggest sore loser I've ever met." She gazed up at him with laughter in her eyes and David felt elated to know that he put it there.

"I think me pinning you down qualifies as a win." David retorted.

"Well, I am at an obvious disadvantage."

"How so?"

"Well, we can exclude you being male. How about because of your enhance strength?" The laughter faded from her eyes but there was a smirk on her face.

His own smirk threatened to slip but kept it in place by sheer will. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play, David. I admit I started to doubt myself but now that you've got me pinned down I don't see where else this can go."

"Where do you think this would go?" David asked nonchalantly, forcing himself to keep calm.

"Let me be blunt since you won't. You're going to kill me. I saw you in the water. Your eyes changed and I saw your fangs. I've also never seen you or your crew out during the day." The smirk was gone, replaced by a look of resignation.

David released her hands and sat beside her, pulling a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it to keep calm. "What do you think I am?" He asked, staring at her through the smoke.

"A vampire."

"It was pretty stupid of you to invite me in your home then." David took a drag and examined the paint that smeared his hands.

"I know how you work. I know you always get what you want so why delay the inevitable?"

David looked at her, really looked. He studied every inch of her ending with her eyes. He could die from such a look. There was no fear in her eye, only a fierce determination and mild acceptance.

"What makes you so sure I want to kill you?"

"I'm not an idiot. What else would you do with me?" Even as she spoke a flush rose in her cheeks and she muttered, "Asshole. Figures. The one guy in Santa Carla that I find attractive turns out to be a perv."

"Relax, Ness" He took another pull from his cig.

"I prefer not to be given nicknames by someone about to kill me." She said with a haughty toss of her head.

"Alright, Ness." David smirked.

"Didn't I—"

"I know what you said which is why I think I've earned the right to give you a nickname."

Vanessa opened her mouth, ready with a response, only to shut it again. "Don't toy with me, David." She said at last.

That was it. He couldn't take anymore. He wanted her but in a different manner than he wanted any other female. He wanted the simple comfort in just knowing that she would be by his side for time indefinite. "I'm not. Vanessa, I'm offering you immortality." He waited with baited breath as he watched her contemplate his sincerity. He hardly realized he was leaning forward like an anxious puppy until ash from his cigarette dropped to the floor and brought him back to reality.

"In exchange for what?" She asked. "My undying loyalty? My soul?"

"Your love." He answered in all seriousness. "I love you like no other but if you don't accept then, don't worry, I won't bother you." He shrugged, trying to maintain a cool exterior even though his nerves were frayed and inside he felt like a jittery mess.

Vanessa dipped her finger in black paint and flicked it at him. "That's sounds like a good deal."

He held the cig between his fingers and leaned forward, meeting her halfway to press his lips to hers. He was wrong before. There was nothing better than this.

_AN- I tried to stretch it out, I really did, but David and a mortal is so hard to write. But now that she's going to become a vampire you can bet there's going to be a sequel…after my Dwayne sequel though. I hope you enjoyed and as you should know reviews are a nice way to show love and appreciation… _


	4. Chapter 4

"I think we did good, kid." David said as he observed the paint splattered wall, his breath made visible by his cigarette smoke. He had his legs stretched out in front of him and crossed at the ankles with Vanessa's head resting on his lap.

She blew out her own thin little cloud until the room was covered in a thin veil of the noxious smoke. "I concur." She yawned and stubbed out her cigarette until the smoldering end was black and left ash streaks on the floor.

David watched her for a moment loving the scent of her and the warmth she radiated. He could hear her heart beat in her chest and the blood run through her veins and felt a savage hunger rise in him. He ignored the feeling and leaned back until he was propping himself up on his elbows.

"How old are you?" Vanessa asked suddenly. David looked to see her staring at him with her piercing green eyes.

"Much older than you." He answered. "Why? How old are you?"

"Twenty-three." She replied with a small shrug as if it didn't matter. "What age did you become a vampire?"

It was David's turn to shrug. "I don't really remember. After awhile age becomes irrelevant. Time melds together and soon you learn not to think about the time gone by else it drives you insane."

Vanessa looked at him for a moment. "Wow. That sounds really depressing."

"It's not." He assured her.

"Do your friends hold the same depressing view as you or can I count on them to be more cheerful?"

"You'll see them soon enough. I think it's time you were properly introduced to the Lost Boys." David let the cigarette dangle from his lips and moved Vanessa so he could jump to his feet. "Come on."

"Now?" She asked, looking at him incredulously.

"Do you have prior engagements? No, so let's go."

"But it's late. Maybe we should wait."

"For what? Morning?" David smirked in amusement.

Vanessa opened her mouth to agree but shut it almost immediately. It thrilled David to see bits of color come to her cheeks. "I forgot." She muttered as she ducked her head to try and hide her blush. "Alright, let's go but let me change first." She rubbed absently at an orange paint spot on her jeans.

"We're going to the boardwalk. No one cares if you've got paint on your clothes."

"I care." She shot back as she leapt to her feet. "Two minutes." She called, rushing out the door and down the hall.

David gave an exasperated sigh and leaned against the door frame, digging into his pocket for his pack as he resigned himself to wait for more than a couple minutes.

She came back a few minutes later clean of paint and wearing a pair of faded and worn jeans that sat low on her hips along with a small tank top that rode up just a little to expose a sliver of skin. David straightened a little when he saw that sliver of skin and his hands itched to touch it, push the material up and expose even more skin.

"What?" She asked when she caught him staring. She flicked her hair back over her shoulder and David thought he was dying all over again when he saw the smooth curve of her neck.

"Nothing. Let's go." He pushed himself away from the doorframe and walked with her to the front door.

The boardwalk was still fairly crowded when they arrived but it was easy for them to pass though as people parted once they saw David. The vampire stopped and turned his head slightly to his right, peering through the crowd with his hard stare.

"What is it?" Vanessa asked as she stopped to stand beside him.

"One of them is around here."

"How can you tell? Do you have telepathy or something?" She snorted in incredulous amusement.

"Yes, actually and I can tell by the scent. We have a different scent than mortals which you'll find o—" David was cut off as a pair of arms wrapped themselves around his neck.

"David, where have you been? I was worried sick." Tris raised her voice to be heard over the roar of the crowd. "Everyone left me to get something to eat and I was almost accosted by these awful— Oh." She released David and stepped back to get a better look at Vanessa.

"Who is this?" Both girls asked in unison with wrinkled noses, eyeing each other suspiciously.

David stepped back and smirked in mild amusement at the scene. "Vanessa this is Tris. Tris meet Vanessa."

"Who?" Both asked again in unison as if names meant nothing.

"Are you his girlfriend?" Vanessa asked bluntly before David had a chance to speak.

Tris looked startled for a moment then laughed behind her hand. "Not a chance. But tell me, David, is this the girl?"

"I wouldn't have bothered to introduce you if she wasn't."

"Are you one of the Lost Boys too?" Vanessa asked.

The little vampire smiled. "So you know about us then? But I wouldn't call myself a Lost _Boy_. Well, David never spent much time beating around the bush. He probably didn't tell you about mates though, did he?"

"No. I'm afraid he's told me very little."

Tris shook her head sadly. "David never gives details but I'll be happy to explain it all to you. Here's mine now."

Dwayne strode up behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Did I miss something?"

"This is Vanessa, David's mate." Tris told him with a mischievous gleam in her eye. "Who would have thought David could have one? He's ego's big enough for two."

"Don't tease." Dwayne smiled and extended his hand to Vanessa. "It's nice to meet under more positive circumstances. My name is Dwayne."

"I agree. It's nice to be properly introduced rather than continue listening to the horror tales of the boardwalk."

"I'm sure they must be awful. You'll see we're nothing like their grotesque stories." Tris said as she pulled away from Dwayne and linked arms with the other girl to pull her away from the other vampires.

"Females." David said, lighting another cigarette. He watched the pair walk together through the throng, looking like old friends.

Dwayne simply shrugged. "You left your bike. We parked it in front of Max's store."

"Thanks. I'll take her there next. Where are Paul and Marco?"

"I left them at Max's." Dwayne answered before looking at David with furrowed eyebrows. "What happened to your coat?"

David looked down at himself and rubbed absently at his chest as if his coat might magically reappear that way. "Damn. I left it back at her house."

Dwayne laughed at the expression on his friend's face. "I never thought I'd see you so unraveled by a girl."

"Shut up." David growled. "I'm not unraveled." He turned away from his friend and walked over to the girls who had found their way to a bench and sat with their heads together, chatting amiably.

"David, I never knew you had a sister." Vanessa looked up at him with a smile. "And such a nice one."

"Welcome to the family. Watch her though; she's evil incarnate." David smirked. "Come on. It's time you meet Max."

"The video store owner? Is he one of you?"

"If I had to put it simply I would say he's the father of our dysfunctional family." David answered.

"You'd love to meet him." Tris said as she rose from her seat. "Dwayne and I will come with you. It's been awhile since I saw Max."

The four of them walked the Max's store with David and Dwayne leading the way and the girls lagging behind as they spoke of seemingly irrelevant topics.

As soon as David entered his eye was caught by a lovely brunette chatting with Marina, the girl behind the counter. David found himself staring at the delicate curve of her long lashes and doe-like eyes of the brunette. She wore a gypsy skirt that hugged her hips and a tank top under her military jacket. As she pushed away from the counter he heard Marina say, "See you later, Star."

Star. He had seen her before; walking casually along the boardwalk, knowing that guys were watching the sway of her hips, and at the outdoor concerts but never paid her much attention. Now, as she walked past him, her eye caught his for a second and a tremor ran down his spine.

"Hey, are you ok?" Dwayne whispered, nudging David discreetly with his elbow.

"Fine." The blonde lied, turning his head to catch one last glimpse at Star. He turned again when his name was called and saw Vanessa standing next to Tris, motioning him over as they spoke to Max. For the second time that night a savage hunger rose in him, frightening him with its intensity and sudden onset.

AN- I'm sorry for the delay. I already had a last chapter typed up but I began to think of how I could extend it even a little and came up with an idea which, sadly, involves Star. I've never really liked her but she serves my purposes so I'll use her and try not to completely bash her character in the process.


	5. Chapter 5

_AN- I'm appalled it's taken this long to write but I've had Sherlock Holmes on the mind. I literally had to watch LB five times before I could write a chapter worthy to post. Anyway, I hope it meets with your approval._

David had Vanessa against the wall in the cramped hallway in her house, his hips pressed against hers and her arms wrapped around his neck. He kissed her with such a passion, a need that it was almost hurtful but neither of them cared. She tried to pull him farther into the house, into the comfort of her bedroom. David wanted to lie on her bed and feel the softness and warmth of her body, smell the sweetness of her skin but he could smell her blood running through her veins. David settled for kissing her neck gently before flashing a smile and leaving her with a slight frown turning down the corners of her lips.

David walked down the boardwalk with his hands in the pockets of his returned coat and his boot heels echoing of the planks in the silence of the late hour.

"David." A voice called softly from behind him.

The vampire turned his head to see who it was in his peripheral vision. "Star." He took a cigarette from his pocket and placed it between his lips to light. "What are you doing, Star?"

"I was waiting for you."

David was slightly thrown by the blatant confession but he didn't show it. The roguish grin appeared on his face and his eyes gleamed mischief in the glow of the streetlamps. "What for?"

"I want to talk to you." She laughed. "I saw you with that other girl. She's pretty. What's her name?" She flicked her hair over her shoulder and David was mesmerized.

"It doesn't matter. Are you doing anything right now?" He asked, carefully blowing his smoke away from her.

"No. Why?"

"Take a walk with me." He jerked his head in the direction of the beach.

Star went to stand beside him; her doe-like eyes gazed at him with rapt interest. "Where are we going?"

"What does it matter? Are you afraid I'll abduct you?"

"No." Star smirked slightly. There was an instinctual fear in her eyes but David could see her push it back and the false sense of admiration replace it.

He walked her to the Cave knowing the others would be out for a last feed before morning. He wanted Star. Like Vanessa, he wanted to feel the smoothness of her skin and breathe her scent. He also wanted his fangs to pierce her neck and feel the flow of blood run over his tongue.

"Sit down." David order as he pointed to the decrepit couch.

"Is this where you live?" Star asked, wrinkling her nose in slight disgust as she surveyed the layer of dust that settled over everything.

David turned his back to the girl to shed his jacket and throw it on the only bed in the Cave. He didn't want blood on it tonight. "Yes. Does that bother you?"

"No." The was a pause and the sound of liquid swishing in a container. "What's this?"

David turned to find Star with the Blood Bottle in her hands, staring at it with fascination as the blood glimmered in the firelight.

"It's nothing. Put it down."

"It's only wine, right." She smirked again and a mischievous gleam formed in her eye. "Are you afraid I can't hold my alcohol?" She asked playfully as she took the top off.

"Listen to me, Star, and put that down. You don't even know what it is. Trust me, you wouldn't be able to handle it." David reached for another cigarette, the last one having been flicked onto the beach after serving its purpose. He lit it and took a long drag, trying not to look concerned as the opening of the Bottle hovered near Star's lips.

"I'm not a child, David. I can handle it." Star quickly tipped the bottle back and let the blood flow down her throat.

With vampyric speed, David ran over and snatched the bottle from her hand before she could get anymore. He watched in loathing as some blood trickled down from the corner of her mouth to her chin.

"That was awful." Star exclaimed, wiping the blood from face. "What was that?"

David stared at the Blood Bottle and gripped it tight enough that he could feel the fragile glass on the verge of breaking. "Get out of here, Star."

"Come on, David, I was only having a little fun. Come sit down and have some with me." She stretched out languidly on the couch and motioned him to join her.

A sudden feeling of revulsion welled up inside the vampire and he knelt alongside the couch and leaned in until there was barely an inch between their faces. He body was tense with anger. "You drank blood, Star."

She looked at him incredulously and gave a nervous little laugh. "Don't play around like that. That's awful."

David let his facial feature change and watched in satisfaction as a look of absolute horror was etched onto her face. "You see what I am? You're just like me now."

The fabric of her dress rustled loudly in the silence as she jumped from the couch and away from David. "I'm not like you, I'm not. It was just wine." She cried, tears flowing down her face. "Look, I'm sorry I drank it. Just let me go and you'll never have to see me again."

"You should have listened." He followed her and grabbed her by her arms. "You'll mess up and people will find out about us. They'll have to kill you and after you they'll come for me and then the rest of the Lost Boys. Do you know how we die, Star?"

"Please, just let me go." She sobbed, her eyes overflowing with tears until her irises were a blurry circle. "It was only a little wine."

He ignored her pleas. "They have to stab our hearts. It's never pretty and it's excruciating. Sometimes the blood gushes from our bodies like a bomb exploded in our chest and other times we writhe as we watch the stake that pierces our hearts and feel the pain of it until it's over. I won't let that happen, not to my brothers or my sister." He shook her roughly to emphasize his point.

"No one will find out, I swear." She squirmed in his gasp, twisting to try to escape.

"And will you live? You need to feed. No, I'd rather kill you myself and not have to worry about it."

"David, stop." Star screamed as he opened his mouth and prepared to drive his fangs into the tender vein in her neck.

He was stopped when she brought her knee up with as much force as she could muster and sent a lightning bolt of pain shooting throughout David's lower half. He may have been a vampire but he was also man and the pain made him loosen his grip enough so she was able to struggle out of his grasp. Star ran through the clutter of the Cave until she came across an antique sword that Paul had stored in the corner beside the music box that hid his stash of weed.

"I don't know what kind of sick game goes on around here but I just want to go home. You don't even have to see me again." She cried as she brandished the tarnished weapon in her hands.

David didn't say anything. From the corner of his eye he could see Dwayne coming down the entrance, observing the scene and coming behind Star quietly. The brunette vampire wrapped an arm around her and quickly took the sword from her with his free hand.

"Whoa, did we interrupt something?" Paul came down with Marco and Tris as Star struggled wildly in Dwayne's grasp.

David sank on to the couch and changed his features back to normal as he let loose a sigh. "She drank it."

Marco went over to David's wheelchair where the he had tossed the Bottle earlier. "You let her drink it?"

"No." David snapped. "She drank it before I could stop her."

"Vanessa's going to _kill_ you. Stake right to the heart." Paul shook his head in mock sadness as he rolled a joint. "So what are you going to do with her?" He asked, jerking his head in Star's direction.

"We should keep her." Marco replied.

"Can we please?" Paul looked at David with wide eyes. "I'll feed her and make sure she plays nice with the mortals." He and Marco howled with laughter at this statement much to the annoyance of David.

"She's not a stray." Tris snorted mirthlessly and stared at the girl in her mate's arms. "What are you going to do, David?"

The blonde looked up at her, loving her more in that moment than ever simply because she trusted his judgment, trusted him to make the right decision for them all.

"She one of us now." Marco said softly, the usual boyish smile gone from his eyes as he gazed at Star. "We can't just kill her."

"Please, just let me go." Star sobbed. "Please. It was only a little wine."

David looked at the cigarette on the floor in front of him. He couldn't remember dropping it but it didn't matter. He simply lit another and took a long pull from it, let it fill his lungs completely before letting go a toxic cloud.

"Keep her here until I get back." The blonde said as he rose to his feet.

"Where are you going?" Paul asked. His eyebrows rose in surprise as he watched David walk out the cave.

The air was cold over his skin as he flew high over Santa Carla, higher than he ever had before until he was near freezing. It was some sort of self-punishment. David flew until Vanessa's house was in sight and landed with a dull thud on her front porch. His hand made a fist but he hesitated a moment before knocking. It took a moment and a few more knocks before he saw a light turn on inside and Vanessa appeared at the door, her hair mussed and eyes red from lack of sleep.

"David, what are you doing here?" She yawned. "I know you sleep all day but some of us have to get up. Is something wrong?" She asked when she saw that hurt expression on his face, the way his mouth was pressed in a tight line and his eyebrows furrowed together in uncertainty.

David sighed heavily and ran a hand over the spikes of his mullet. There were no words rehearsed to tell her, to show her his sincerity. He didn't really know how to be sincere.

"I'm sorry." It's a start at least.


	6. Chapter 6

AN- Little fluff at the end and I don't do fluff well...at all. Still, it should meet with your approval. I hope.

"What did you do?" Vanessa took a step back, an uneasy smile plastered on her face.

"It was an accident, I promise you that." David took a step towards her only to be held back with her hand on his chest.

"You're not invited." She said coolly. "And you still haven't told me what you've done."

David turned his head away for a moment, trying to find the words that wouldn't make her hate him and that wouldn't make him feel guilty.

"I made someone else." He said quickly.

Vanessa cocked her head and laughed loudly. "You made someone else? What does that even mean? You found someone else? I'm just trash? A midnight snack now?"

"Don't say that. It's not true." David put a hand on the doorframe and a foot on the threshold to prevent her from closing the door. "She drank the blood before I could stop her. I don't even want her."

"So kill her." Vanessa said, staring at the vampire with a hard glare. "You're good at that."

"It's not that simple. We have rules. I can't kill one of my own. She drank my blood therefore I am responsible for her."

"So she's like a pet, a stray you're forced to care for."

"It's more than that. Star is—"

"Star." Vanessa exclaimed incredulously. "That tramp from the boardwalk? She's the one taking my place?"

David slammed a hand against the door. "Shut up. No one is taking your place."

"You're a real ass, you know that?" She tried to close the door but David's foot was preventing her from doing so. "Get your foot off."

"Not until we talk about this."

"There's nothing to talk about. Obviously you have yourself a new toy. I'm just the worn model." Vanessa patted herself down absentmindedly looking for a cigarette, frowning when she found none. "Look, I know you don't want anyone to know your secret so go ahead and get it over with."

David took a cigarette from his pocket and gave it to her. "I'm not going to kill you."

"When did you turn coward? Go ahead, I'm not afraid." She lit the cigarette with trembling hands and stared at the glowing end in the darkness.

"What is with women?" David growled as he leaned against the doorframe, tilting forward slightly to narrow the gap. "We tell you one thing and you either think we're saying something different or you go off and do something completely opposite of what we just said."

"What's with _you_? You take girls and string them along, pretending you love them and that you'll be there but then you dump them on the side of the road, drained dry, when someone better comes along." Leaving the door open, Vanessa turned her back to him and walked past the cluttered hall to the living room. "You're still not invited."

The vampire entered despite the warning and followed her, watching her as she walked over to a tattered box in a corner. He stared at the curve of her back, the angle of her back, the angry lines on her face. David watched as she pulled a handful of brushes from the box and rose to her feet. She might as well have staked him the look on her face was so murderous.

"Leave me alone." Vanessa said so quietly he might have missed it if not for the exceptional hearing.

"No."

"Don't you get it, you ass? I was using you, getting my rocks off. Everyone wanted you so I took the challenge. The only thing was you found someone new before I did. I don't love you, I don't even like you."

"You're just saying that." David held out his hand. "Calm down and listen to what I'm trying to tell you."

"I don't want to listen to you." She screamed and threw the brushes at him. They missed by a foot. "I hate you. Understand? I hate you. You're a pathetic waste that has to feed off others to live. You're a leech." A tear rolled down her cheek and she quickly brushed it away, her eyes blazing with hurt and fury. "You just drain everyone dry."

"Kill me then."

Vanessa sniffed and her breath caught in her throat. "What?"

"You heard me. If you hate me so much then kill me." David left her for a moment and went to take a knife from her kitchen. He returned and held it at arms length, the handle to her. "Take it."

"Don't be stupid."

"Why? If you hate me so much then you'll enjoy this. It'll be painful for me, excruciating. I may even scream."

"You're a pig." She turned her back to him but he went to stand in front of her, the knife still poised in his hand.

"Go ahead, Vanessa. I'm just a leech, remember? It would be better for everyone if you just finish it."

Hesitantly, Vanessa took the knife from his hand and pointed it at his chest. "I really do hate you." She whispered.

David could hear the tremble of her voice, smell the salt of her tears, hear the quickening beat of her heart and he smirked but didn't feel the usual elation and mastery that came with it. He only felt a shred of remorse as he saw the blade glimmer in the low light of living room.

"Why are you doing this?" Vanessa asked. "What are you trying to prove? That you're so strong death doesn't scare you?"

"I'm not afraid to die but that's not what this is about." David stepped closer to her, closer to the blade.

She didn't move even though the tip of the knife dug into David's chest. "Then what? You don't think I'll do it?"

"I know you could do it. If you really hate me you'll do it but you'll just kill yourself."

"How do you figure that?"

"We've got a connection, Ness. When I die a little part of you dies too."

"I think I can live with a little." She pushed the blade deeper into his chest, enough to draw enough blood but not enough to reach his heart.

David clenched his teeth at the pain but didn't move away. "If that's what you want."

The blade clattered to the floor, the sound echoing eerily in the silence. "You're pathetic. You made a mistake and now you want someone else to erase the pain of it."

David watched as she turned away, grabbing a backpack on her way out.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"Anywhere but here."

"No you're not." David responded automatically.

"Who's going to stop me? Bye, David. You better go before the sun comes up." She yelled from the front steps as he stared skeptically.

David raced after her, threw himself in front of her kneeling at her feet.

"Look at me." He ordered. "Never in my life, mortal or vampire, have I ever kneeled for anyone. I am telling you that I love you and that what happened tonight was a complete accident. Star may be one of us but she's not mine. I don't want her. Listen when I tell you that I'll do anything to keep you with me." He dug his sharp nails into the major artery of his neck. "If you love me then drink my blood, be mine completely."

Vanessa stared at the blood dripping from his neck and then in his eyes. Her face was blank, her lips parted slightly in surprise and her eyebrows slightly arched in something akin to fear.

The wound healed quickly so he did it again. "Do it and if not then just kill me and save us both the pain of separating. You don't know what it's like for us. It hurts, Vanessa, and I'd rather kill myself than be subject to this kind of pain." The wound closed again so he dug the nails into the tender flesh again and then again into his wrists. "What do you want from me? Anything you want I'll get for you, I'll do."

It was overwhelming for the vampire to be subjected to this kind of emotional torment. He had never known what it was to be in such distress so that it hurt to simply breathe. Changing his facial features, David sunk his fangs deep into his wrist again and again, hardly noticing Vanessa anymore.

"David, stop. STOP." Vanessa cried, grabbing his mutilated wrists in her hands, the blood trickling from between her fingers.

"Why?" David growled. He looked up to find tears coursing down her face and her shoulders shaking with the sobs.

"I do love you I just hate what you did." She cried. "Just stop hurting yourself. Please, you're hurting me."

David breathed heavily, his head spinning from the loss of blood. Her blood filled his nostrils. He could taste his own on his tongue but resisted the urge to feed. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, you are. Look at you." Vanessa gave a shaky laugh as she gestured to the blood on the path.

"Come back with me."

"What about Star?"

"Paul and Marco can look after her. She's still my responsibility though."

"I understand. Family's important to you. Alright, David." She brought her bloodied hand to her mouth and licked a little blood off her fingertips. "I'll come with you."

AN- FINALLY FINISHED! Now I can start posting the sequel to _I Can't Love You_. Hope you enjoyed and remember that reviews equal love.


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